Superb Advice on How to Handle a Vehicle Recall

                                      

There were several vehicle recalls in 2015 including: Mack Truck, Volvo, Dodge, Ram Trucks, Ford, BMV, Kawasaki, Pontiac, Buick, Jeep, GM, Cooper, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mazda and more that affected millions of customers. 

Vehicles are not what they used to be. Vehicles used to last for 5 to 10 years without major defects or major problems. Nowadays you are lucky if your vehicle lasts during the warranty. Think twice before trading in your old vehicle for a shiny new one. 

Lately we have heard about many products being recalled. There is a consumer protection magazine called "Consumer Reports" that is sent out every month to inform consumers of products that are recalled and identifies any possible dangers of using the recalled products. This year we have heard of the dozens of recalls from vehicle manufacturers. 

If your vehicle has been recalled you should be contacted by mail by the manufacturer. However, if you have not, you can find recall information on internet at websites such as: Vehiclefax, Environmental Protection Agency or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most vehicles that are recalled are repaired free of charge by your local dealership. Here are 9 superb tips on how to handle a vehicle recall.

1. Don't panic. Some recalls are not safety hazards but you should take your vehicle to the dealership where you bought the car to have the repairs performed.
2. Verify notification. If you receive a notice that your vehicle has been recalled take your vehicle to any dealership in your area that sells your particular vehicle make and model. Recall notices are valid as long as the vehicle is less than 10 years old. You can also contact the vehicle manufacturer directly to get accurate information on the model being recalled. 
3. Get a second opinion. Get a second opinion on repair costs before taking it to the dealer in the event the dealer suggests additional repairs that they will not cover.
4. Research. Find out the process to get, your vehicle repaired and if you will be compensated for the recalled part or for a rental vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired. Check the company's website to verify if any information has been posted.
5. Status. Check on the status of your vehicle repair frequently and document all phone calls with the vehicle dealer and vehicle manufacturer. Ask for a letter in writing from the vehicle manufacturer stating what model was recalled and the process for repairing the recalled model.
6. Used Vehicles. If you bought a used vehicle and repairs were made a sticker will be displayed inside the vehicle. Check annually. If you did not receive a notice that you vehicle was recalled, ask other people who own your same type of vehicle to notify you if they hear about recalls. Also, search the internet periodically to see the list of recent vehicle recalls. You can search if your car has been recalled using this tool https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/ or visit www.consumeraffairs.com for more information on vehicle recalls.
7. Vehicle Fund. Create an emergency vehicle fund so if you have to get your vehicle repaired you minimize the chance of going into debt.
8. Purchase. When purchasing a vehicle do your research and check to see if any of the vehicle manufacturer's models have been recalled, the date of the recall and what the company did to address the recalled models. Also check the financial stability of the company. Don't purchase vehicles that may be discontinued because it may be hard to find parts for the vehicle. Make sure you buy a vehicle that has been rated as a good buy.

Generate Wealth Right Now

                                              

Whatever you have been doing before regarding your finances stop doing it. See the advice of a true financial expert to help you blast away bad financial habits and achieve the life you always wanted. 

You go to see a dentist when you have a tooth problem, a doctor when you are sick, a mechanic when you car needs repair, a lawyer for legal advice, so why don't you hire a financial expert to help you with your finances? Well you still have time.  

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Financial Group Coaching

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Financial Freedom Program

If you owe lots of debt, have bad credit and overspend, I have a Financial Freedom Program. After completing this program clients: will owe less money, will increase their credit score, free up money for unexpected emergencies, increase their household cash flow, will stop overspending, be able to buy what you want and need, best use of the money you have, and be able to plan for the future. I had a client who was struggling with debt. They had been a renter for twenty years and did not believe homeownership was possible. I helped the client create and maintain a budget, become debt free, increase their credit score by 120 points and was approved for a mortgage loan with a low interest rate. The client was the first person in her family to become a homeowner and became a role model for her daughter who also became my client. If you want to become debt free, have good credit and have money left over each month click here to purchase this program now! 

Financial Makeover Program

If you owe lots of debt and have bad credit I have a Financial Makeover Program. After completing this program clients: will owe less money, will increase their credit score, free up money for unexpected emergencies, and increase their net worth. I had a client that filed bankruptcy, had a repossession, had bad credit, and no savings. I helped the client rebuild their credit and they were able to purchase a single family home with a low interest rate, purchase two vehicles and pay down credit card debt. The client was also able to create financial goals such as starting a business. If you want to become debt free and have good credit click here to purchase this program now!

Credit Score Program

If you have bad credit, I have a Credit Score Program. After completing this program clients: will feel better, will get easily approved for personal or business credit, will have negotiating power, increase job opportunities, will save money in fees, will increase liquidity, and have more options and more choices when spending money. I had a client who had a 420 credit score and I assisted them by increasing their credit score to 700. They were able to purchase a home and create financial stability for their family. If you want to have, good credit click here to purchase this program now!

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The second is a Phone Financial Coaching Program. In this program, you will get financial advice for 45 minutes once a week for 5 weeks. You get expert advice to all the financial topics you ever wanted to be answered. 

Topics include but are not limited to: credit, debt, budgeting, saving, investing, retirement, paying for college, paying off student loans and more.

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I also create customized programs to fit your specific needs. Take action today. Don’t wait. Contact me at consulting at hefreemanenterprises dot com.

Kind regards,

Harrine Freeman

Owner, H.E. Freeman Enterprises

www.hefreemanenterprises.com

Financial Expert/Speaker/Author

As seen in Forbes, MSN Money, Marketwatch, NASDAQ.com, Yahoo

http://hefreemanenterprises.blogspot.com  (blog)

http://www.twitter.com/harrine

14 Budgeting Tips for Irregular Incomes

                                

Due to economic changes such as the 2008 recession, government shutdown, natural disasters and other events many who are unemployed have become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately the disadvantage is not knowing how much you will earn until you earn it or receive it in your bank account.

Irregular income is defined as income you receive as an individual or business that is variable. Some months, your income might be high, some months it may be consistent and some months it may be low.

Your paycheck doesn’t look like regular employee paychecks that are received bi-weekly or monthly. In addition, you have to pay your own FICA for taxes, social security and Medicare. You can may receive a partial or full commission, bonuses or receive child support or alimony. You may work as a consultant, temp, on-call worker, day laborer, artist, musician, seasonal income worker, perform odd jobs, earn income on tips, or work as a freelancer.

If you receive irregular income, budgeting is critical to your financial success. However, it can be difficult to track if you have multiple jobs that provide irregular income.

For the current month, spend what you earned the previous month. Save enough money to live on for the entire month without using your current irregular income. This way you will always be ahead and spend this month what you earned the previous month.

Ensure you allocate all money towards a category – bills, spending, savings and investment, etc. If you have any money left over that is not accounted for it will be tempting to spend it. Budgeting involves organizing your finances, and this can be challenging when your income fluctuates. No matter how much you earn you must use a budget. Here are 15 tips to help you manage your irregular income.

1. Know your cash flow. Create a monthly and an annual budget. Know how much you earn and spend per month and per year. Identify the lowest amount of money you earn over 12 months (lean income) and identify the highest amount of money (surplus income) you earn. Divide your previous year’s income by 12 to determine your estimated or average monthly income for the current year.
2. Create a budget. Create a traditional budget that also identifies the priority of when bills need to be paid and bills that must be paid each month such as mortgage or rent, car payment and insurance, other insurance, utilities, cell phone, prescriptions, personal care, etc. Try to schedule your payments based on when you receive your income.
3. Prioritize. Prioritize your budget from 1 to 50 with 1 being the bill that has the highest priority for being paid each month. Include monthly fixed expenses in your list of priorities. Based on your leanest income during a 12-month period highlight each item in red that until it totals your leanest income for one month. These are the only items you can pay when you receive your lowest income for any month. Subtract your average monthly income minus leanest monthly income. If there are any highligted red items that haven’t been paid pay those first. Highlight all the items that can be paid with the additional money in green. If there are any high priority items that were not paid you need to make some adjustments to reduce spending or increase your monthly income.
4. Set up a flexible savings account. Create a flexible or variable savings account. Put money into this account to pay for the green highlighted items such as hair salon, clothing, etc.
5. Always be ahead. Try to budget at least 1 - 3 months ahead. This can be achieved by saving a portion of your income during high earning (surplus) months.
6. Sales cycle. Know your lean months and plan accordingly to ensure you have enough funds to cover expenses during those months.
7. Track spending. Use a smartphone app on online tool to track spending such as mint.com, Expensify or your bank mobile app. Include business expenses and miscellaneous expenses in your budget. Set daily or weekly spending limits. Setup alerts or reminders when bills are due or when account balances get low. Review your budget monthly and make any necessary adjustments.
8. Accounts. Create separate business and personal checking accounts. Deposit all your irregular income in your business account. Pay yourself an income from your business account that will be transferred to your personal account and used to pay for all personal monthly bills and expenses.
9. Create an emergency fund. Create an emergency savings fund to cover monthly bills and expenses for 12 – 15 months. Start small by saving enough money to cover bills for one month and continue until you have reached your goal. Save on a regular basis either every week or every 2 weeks.
10. Automate. Automate your finances by paying bills online to contribute to your savings account.
11. Variable expenses. Include variable expenses in your budget like car or life insurance, security monitoring, lawn care or pest control. Identify them as variable expenses and when they are due - quarterly, bi-yearly or yearly.
12. Income sources. Identify all sources of income and the total earned from each monthly. Identify if they are variable or fixed income sources. Include fixed income sources in your budget. If you know when you will receive the variable income, use it to pay variable expenses.
13. Surplus. If you make more than you estimated, you can take a portion of the earnings and roll it over to the next year to buffer any future deficits. This prevents overspending and impulse shopping.
14. Taxes. Ensure you set aside money to pay for taxes yearly on April 15^th. If you are in the 20% income bracket set aside 20% of your income for taxes.